The 13th edition of the prestigious XELLA competition for young architects is starting

The company XELLA CZ and XELLA Slovakia, the manufacturer of the YTONG building system, announced another year of the international competition designed for university students focusing on architecture, engineering, or art. Proposals corresponding to the assignment “Quarries with a new function – Marianka” can be submitted until February next year. The jury, composed of experts led by architect Eva Jiřičná, will decide on the winner among young talents.

XELLA is calling promising architects to the prestigious competition for the thirteenth time, and for the fifth time, aside from students from Czech schools, interested parties from abroad can also participate. The goal of the entire project is to support their creative invention and deepen practical knowledge. This year, the proposed projects will actually help and have the chance to influence the potential development of the village of Marianka.
“The proposal to transform the quarry into a sports-recreational and cultural center would be a challenge even for experienced professionals. However, from past years' experiences, we know that unconventional ideas and creatively diverse solutions from young designers never disappoint,” promises Martin Polák on behalf of the organizers, the general director and managing director of XELLA.

Student proposals will help a well-known pilgrimage site

In this year's edition, not only the judges and professional public are curious about the final works, but also the residents of the village of Marianka. The transformation of the quarry into a sports and recreational center is indeed included in the zoning plan. “The competition thus provides a helping hand to the municipality, which strives to ensure that the quarry does not become a dumping ground or that mining is not resumed,” explains Hana Šimánová from the organizing committee of the competition.
The municipality of Marianka near Bratislava is a significant pilgrimage site. The sacred atmosphere of the Mariánské valley, in close proximity to the Protected Landscape Area, is admired by thousands of visitors every year. The unused quarry should further enhance their relaxation in the future.
That is also why the organizers borrowed this year's competition motto from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Preparing for the future means creating the present.”

A jury full of authorities

The individual proposals will be evaluated by a professional jury. In addition to Eva Jiřičná, there will be ten other recognized professionals and a representative from the municipality of Marianka. They will assess the solutions of individual objects and their integration into the context of the entire area, as well as architectural, spatial, and functional solutions, but also the feasibility of using the YTONG system or SILKA lime-sand blocks. They will not overlook the ecological aspect, the relationship to the environment, and the usability of alternative energy sources.
The most interesting proposals will be rewarded with amounts of 1000, 500, and 300 euros. In addition, the jury will select three more young talents who will receive tangible prizes worth 150 euros.
In last year’s edition, the first prize for the proposal for the Garden of the Eggenberg Brewery in Český Krumlov was awarded to students Martin Rezek and Tomáš Stránský from the Faculty of Architecture at CTU Prague. “In the demanding eyes of the expert jury, the sensitive composition and coherence of the concept distinguished their work. The level of the participants improves year after year, and that is why we look forward to what surprises the competitors will bring us this year,” says Hana Šimánová.

Expert jury

Eva Jiřičná (Czech Republic), Irakli Eristavi (Georgia), Ludvík Grym (Czech Republic), Oldřich Kodeda (Czech Republic), Ivan Kubík (Slovakia)
Emil Makara (Slovakia), Vlado Milunić (Czech Republic), Peter Moravčík (Slovakia), Štefan Šlachta (Slovakia), Jaromír Veselák (Czech Republic), Lubomír Závodný (Slovakia), Representative of the municipality of Marianka (Slovakia).

> Detailed information about the competition, materials, and competition conditions can be found on the Xella website

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> Results of the XELLA Student Competition 2006/2007 [21.3.2007]

> Page of the company XELLA CZ s.r.o. in the catalog